Things are looking up.
Today the state announced that vaccine eligibility would be expanding to California residents 50 and older starting April 1 and to anyone 16 and older starting from April 15. Meanwhile, the L.A. County Public Health Department has announced that vaccination sites and are operating far below their capacity and are able to accommodate at least twice as many people each week. Unfortunately, supplies in the county remain limited.
“With vaccine supply increasing and by expanding eligibility to more Californians, the light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter,” said Governor Newsom.
California is expected to receive approximately 2.5 million first and second doses per week in the first half of April, and more than 3 million doses in the second half of April, according to the announcement. Currently, the state has the capacity to administer over 3 million vaccines per week and is hoping to shift that to 4 million by the end of April.
NEW: CA is expanding eligibility for the #COVID19 vaccine.
Beginning April 1, Californians 50+ will be able to sign up for an appointment.
Beginning April 15, eligibility will be expanded to everyone 16 and older.
The light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 25, 2021
“We are even closer to putting this pandemic behind us with today’s announcement and with vaccine supplies expected to increase dramatically in the months ahead,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly in a statement. “However, we are not there yet. It will take time to vaccinate all eligible Californians. During this time, we must not let our guard down. It is important that we remain vigilant, continue to wear masks and follow public health guidance.”
L.A. County Surpasses 23,000 COVID-19 Deaths; Will Expand Vaccination Eligibility in April with State. 66 New Deaths and 608 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County. View https://t.co/N9o7L7FtWn pic.twitter.com/lXvGYh6Q8Z
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) March 26, 2021
This follows news that L.A. County has reached a new death milestone of 23,000 making COVID-19 the number one cause of death in the county. Officials are urging residents to remain cautious and avoid travel outside of the state where possible over Easter.
Featured Image: Mayor Eric Garcetti via Twitter